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

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rush — hurry

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