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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: dip · fork · leaves · rule · bay · lean · scale · vault

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. 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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lean — thin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. 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