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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — to sink
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — the fruit
  21. present — a gift
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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