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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — thin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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