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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — rain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — thin
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — a container
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spring — a coil

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