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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — thin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. capital — a city
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — government
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. capital — money

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