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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — rain
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. object — to protest
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — tied together
  9. object — a thing
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — to bear
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — an aim
  15. bound — certain
  16. clip — for paper
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — obliged
  20. date — the fruit
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. vault — a safe
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. date — on the calendar

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