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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ground — a position
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lie — an untruth

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