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

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — rain
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — a company
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. perch — for a bird

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