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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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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: lean · pass · scale · swing · cold · bear · mate · vault

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. swing — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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