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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — for catching
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — letters
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — magic
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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