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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — help
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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