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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. shower — to wash
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — to play on
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — in golf
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — ground
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a document
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. file — a tool
  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