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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — an aim
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — a thing

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