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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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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — in a road
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — rain
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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