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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — a safe
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — the season
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spring — a coil

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