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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. club — a group
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. vault — a safe
  24. club — for golf

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