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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pass — a permit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — to rip
  9. firm — steady
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. dip — to sink
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fork — in a road
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — decided
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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