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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 · shower · root · firm · foot · dip · hand · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. dip — to sink
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — a company
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. root — of a plant
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. shower — to wash
  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