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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — thin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — ground

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