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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. suit — clothes
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rule — a law
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a partner
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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