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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bound — tied together
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. land — a country
  23. mine — for digging
  24. snap — to click

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