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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — the tool
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — thin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. cold — not warm
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of law
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. can — a tin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of a king
  24. toast — bread

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