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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. field — for sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — a container
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. field — a subject
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. field — farmland
  22. chest — of your body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — to succeed

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