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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. swing — in golf
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. land — to come down
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. land — a country
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — to shout

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