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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — ground
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — a country
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — a safe
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — in control
  23. branch — a division
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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