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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. shower — rain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. file — a tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — the fish
  24. snap — to click

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