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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. key — for a lock
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — of water
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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