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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mug — to rob
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. chest — a box
  9. rest — a break
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fork — in a road
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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