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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — of water
  14. ground — a position
  15. spring — the season
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. spring — a coil

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