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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pop — to visit
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. snap — to click
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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