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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — a permit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. toast — bread
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — a stone

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