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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to rest against

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