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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 116 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: cell · shower · rule · squash · vault · fall · bore · face

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cell — in biology
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rule — government
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — a phone
  19. face — to point toward
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rule — to rule out
  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