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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. object — an aim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. object — a thing
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — part of the head
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to point toward
  22. object — to protest
  23. lean — thin
  24. cap — a lid

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