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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — rain
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — government
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. racket — for tennis

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