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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — in cards
  13. row — to paddle
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — help
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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