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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. shower — rain
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mate — a partner
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mate — a friend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a committee
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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