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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. capital — a city
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — a safe
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — to paddle
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. firm — a company
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. firm — decided

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