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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tear — from crying
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — a practice
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. charge — electricity
  10. shower — rain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — high quality
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — in control
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. face — to point toward
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. shower — to wash
  24. game — a match

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