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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — to crush
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pound — to hit hard

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