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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — a safe
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — bread

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