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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stand — to bear
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stand — on your feet

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