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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · mug · sharp · chest · stick · lean · jam · plane

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. plane — a tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — a box
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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