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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — obliged
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — for paper
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — certain
  12. clip — a video
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — shares
  17. season — of the year
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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