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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — a safe
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. current — electric
  19. face — part of the head
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — happening now
  24. ruler — for measuring

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