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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. toast — bread
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. swing — in golf
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — what's left

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