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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. staff — a stick
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. roll — a list

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