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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — a law
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — a city
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — music
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tear — to rip
  24. chair — a professorship

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