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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — for digging
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — a safe
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. shower — to wash
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — rain

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