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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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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: season · wound · vault · staff · rest · mate · lean · stick

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — of the year
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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