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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bound — certain
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fine — all right
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com