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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: shower · rest · deal · pit · calf · board · plane · vault

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — rain
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — a tool

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