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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. drill — army training
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. object — to protest
  24. drill — the tool

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