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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — government
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wound — an injury
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. deal — to handle

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