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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. vault — a safe
  3. face — part of the head
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chest — of your body

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