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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. last — to go on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — in cards
  12. season — in sport
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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