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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: fall · content · shower · arm · bear · ruler · sharp · vault

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — rain
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. sharp — clever

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