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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to click
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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