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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a document
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. charge — electricity
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. shower — rain
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a line of people

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