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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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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 · wind · chip · vault · saw · stand · pop · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — soda
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pop — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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