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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — to come down
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lean — to bend
  24. land — a country

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