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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. board — to get on
  3. cell — a phone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — a committee
  8. chip — to eat
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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