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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — a safe
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tube — the underground
  11. shower — rain
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. net — after costs
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — army training

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