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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. present — there
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — to bend
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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