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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. rock — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. club — a group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — for golf

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