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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. last — final
  5. degree — from a university
  6. present — there
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. present — the time now
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. present — a gift
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — an amount

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