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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. last — final
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — thin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — to bend

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