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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · arm · lean · bear · content · shower · suit · bat

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. shower — rain
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. content — happy
  4. vault — a safe
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. content — the amount
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. arm — part of the body
  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