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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spring — a coil
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — decided
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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