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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spell — a short time
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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