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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — thin
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. can — to be able to
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. can — a tin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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