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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. land — a country
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. land — to come down
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to bend
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — ground
  24. fall — to drop

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