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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. shower — rain
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. current — happening now
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. current — of water
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — hurry
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rush — to hurry
  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