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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — of ice
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — rain
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — to wash

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