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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. staff — employees
  4. lean — to bend
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — of the leg

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