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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: lean · spring · vault · rush · rock · fall · chip · cold

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — the season
  10. rock — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lean — to bend

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