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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — there
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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