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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. present — a gift
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — decided
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — thin
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to bend
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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