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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bound — certain
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — to sink
  24. drill — the tool

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