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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. key — in music
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hand — help
  24. chest — of your body

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