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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. land — ground
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a music group

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