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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bass — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bound — certain
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — obliged

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