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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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468
Word bank
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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. snap — to click

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