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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a line
  12. cue — a hint
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. vault — a safe
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kid — child
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. shower — to wash

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