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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — a safe
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tear — to rip
  12. shower — rain
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — boats
  21. club — a group
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — to eat

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