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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · game · lean · bowl · march · straw · vault · season

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. game — wild animals
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to bend
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. season — in sport

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