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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — thin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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