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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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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 · stick · deal · cold · board · ruler · mouse · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — to get on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mouse — the animal

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