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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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