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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — decided
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — the cause
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. shower — rain
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. firm — a company

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