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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — certain
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — final
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ground — a position
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — a young animal

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