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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lean — thin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — a safe
  20. shower — to wash
  21. clip — a video
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — to pay attention

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