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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. squash — the sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — there
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rule — government
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — a weight
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. present — the time now
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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