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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mug — to rob
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mug — a face
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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