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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — a trail
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — bread
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spell — letters
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — a company
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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