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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. vault — a safe
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — thin
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lean — to bend
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. date — the fruit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. suit — in cards
  24. leaves — to go away

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