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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a cake
  4. court — of law
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — a safe
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tear — to rip
  24. foot — the bottom

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