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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. firm — decided
  2. shower — rain
  3. band — a music group
  4. stock — goods
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a ring
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — shares
  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