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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. toast — bread
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — a short time
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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