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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: sharp · spell · lean · leaves · rest · degree · can · vault

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to bend
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rest — a break
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — an amount
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spell — letters

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