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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. firm — decided
  4. sharp — clever
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. firm — a company
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — a series
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rock — music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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