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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. field — a subject
  3. file — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — to bear
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — to wash
  17. file — a document
  18. field — for sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. root — the cause
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. root — of a plant

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