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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wound — an injury
  8. content — the amount
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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