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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. march — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — to rob
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mug — a cup

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