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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — a practice
  12. vault — a safe
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. drill — army training
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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