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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the fish
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — low music
  7. ground — a position
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ground — the earth

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