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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bass — the fish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to click
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stem — to come from

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