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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — to bear
  6. vault — a safe
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. club — for dancing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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