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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stand — to bear

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