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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cap — of ice
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — decided
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — steady
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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