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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — shares
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. track — a song

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