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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — a safe
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. shower — to wash
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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