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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — in sport
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — a tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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