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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — thin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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