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

Word bank: craft · cell · pitcher · vault · club · temple · lean · shower

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. club — for dancing
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. club — a group
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lean — thin
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — in biology
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cell — a phone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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