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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — a price
  6. lean — thin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. shower — rain
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spring — of water

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