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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — the amount
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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