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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. march — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to click
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lean — to bend
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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