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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — a safe
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — child
  6. ground — a position
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — in cards
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — help
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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