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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. shower — rain
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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