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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — there
  7. content — happy
  8. object — to protest
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — to bend

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