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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — a law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. suit — to fit
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. vault — a safe
  14. shower — to wash
  15. file — a line of people
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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