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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — a safe
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — a line
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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