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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. land — a country
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — ground
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — to fit
  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