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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. shower — rain
  3. vault — a safe
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — thin
  15. rest — a break
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ruler — a monarch

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