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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. last — to go on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — finally
  19. cue — a signal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — a group
  24. last — final

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