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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — all right
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. swing — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. present — a gift
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lie — to recline

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