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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. board — a committee
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — to go on
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — finally
  14. object — a thing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — final
  18. lean — thin
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. object — to protest

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