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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — magic
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — the season
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bound — obliged
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. bat — the 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