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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — to get on
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — final
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lean — to bend
  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