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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. foot — a measure
  4. vault — a safe
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — the season
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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