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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — a country
  3. vault — a safe
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. land — to come down
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — thin

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