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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. row — to paddle
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — the animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — the earth
  23. row — a line
  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