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

Word bank: lean · vault · tear · chip · fall · cap · bay · sharp

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lean — thin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — with an edge

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