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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — to keep track
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. club — a group
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — a city
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — thin

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