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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to bend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — a safe
  15. shower — rain
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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