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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. board — a committee
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fork — in a road
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — shares
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kid — child
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kid — to tease

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