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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — rain
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. roll — a list
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. roll — on a roll

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