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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — to wash
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. drill — army training
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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