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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 124 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: sharp · vault · leaves · hand · chip · dip · fine · march

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — help
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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