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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rest — a break
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rest — what's left

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