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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — thin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. shower — to wash
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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