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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to bend
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — there
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — a friend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. present — the time now
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wound — an injury
  21. present — a gift
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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