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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — of the year
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. shower — to wash
  24. vault — a safe

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