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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. band — a music group
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rock — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. shower — to wash
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — to rest against

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