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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. shower — rain
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — in music
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — in sport
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — for weighing

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