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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chip — for betting
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. firm — a company
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. firm — steady
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — decided

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