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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. current — electric
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — to paddle
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. fork — in a road
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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