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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — a safe
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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