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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — a list

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