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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — thin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — before a funeral

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