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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. march — the month
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — in control
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — out of danger

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