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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · wound · lean · mug · drill · march · vault · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — a practice
  19. march — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lean — thin
  24. march — the month

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