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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — music
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — a handicraft

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