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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. march — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lean — thin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — a stone
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rock — to move gently

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