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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. club — for dancing
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — to bend
  7. march — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lean — thin
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — to wash
  22. deal — to handle
  23. march — the month
  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