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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lean — thin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — for a computer

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