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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — a container
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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