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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: shower · pass · ruler · lean · vault · chair · fine · plane

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — rain

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