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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — a container
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. swing — to play on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. swing — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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