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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 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — a price
  7. cold — not warm
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — to crush
  11. charge — electricity
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cold — an illness
  18. vault — a safe
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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