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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — a practice
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — rain
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. drill — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. season — in sport
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hide — to keep secret

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