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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fine — all right
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — the season
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — a company
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — to drop

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