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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — a thing
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cue — a hint
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a document
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — rain
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. shower — to wash
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. file — a tool

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