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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — to eat
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — an aim
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a dance
  14. object — to protest
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. face — part of the head
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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