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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mug — to rob
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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