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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — there
  14. lean — thin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. vault — a safe
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — help
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  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