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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 124 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rock — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. file — a line of people
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — rain
  19. file — a document
  20. toast — bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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