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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — money
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — a city
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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