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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · dip · sharp · pass · stick · lean · vault · patient

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — to sink
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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