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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — of water
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — newspapers
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — to bear
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — to push
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — a coil
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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