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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. row — a line
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lean — thin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to confront
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — to point toward
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. face — part of the head
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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