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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a hat

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