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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — to rip
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tear — from crying
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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