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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: wake · net · season · deal · lean · straw · bear · vault

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — after costs
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — in sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — thin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — to bend
  16. deal — to handle
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. vault — a safe

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