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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — to get on
  16. shower — rain
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. shower — to wash
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — a safe
  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