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

Word bank: wound · stick · cap · rest · cell · vault · deal · court

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — to handle
  12. court — of a king
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. court — for sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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