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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — thin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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