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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — thin
  3. present — there
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a hole
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — a gift
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — a division

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