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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — for catching
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to bend
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rest — a break
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — thin

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