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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to sink
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — the season
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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