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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — hurry
  3. land — to come down
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ground — the earth
  17. land — a country
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — music
  22. land — ground
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — a thrill

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