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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fall — the season
  24. vault — a safe

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