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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · pass · vault · rule · straw · bear

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bear — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — government

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