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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — rain
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. face — to confront
  15. vault — a safe
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — a part of something

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