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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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