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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mug — a face
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — in sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — to rob
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — of the year
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stand — for spectators

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