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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mark — a trace
  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