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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — the season
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — of water

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