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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — a position
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — the earth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — a box

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