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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — a container
  8. field — a subject
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — for sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — thin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — a safe
  21. swing — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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