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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to bend
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — music
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — to wash
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lean — thin

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