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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — a position
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ground — the earth
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — a box
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — boats

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