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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — for spectators

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