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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. shower — to wash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — help
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — a safe
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. prune — to trim

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