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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. net — in sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. content — happy
  14. lean — thin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lean — to rest against

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