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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. suit — to fit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — clothes
  10. deal — to handle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — final
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — to get on
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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