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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — clever
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — exactly

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