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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — to wash
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — rain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — a safe

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