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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — rain
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — thin
  13. rest — a break
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — the fruit

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