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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — in cards
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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