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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — the sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. squash — to crush
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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