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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. file — a tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a document
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rush — hurry
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — to fit

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