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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — a contest
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — a safe
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. shower — to wash

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