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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — to crush
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lean — to bend
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — part of the body

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