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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. band — a ring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — a path

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