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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — an aim
  6. mark — a grade
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. object — a thing
  13. shower — rain
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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