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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. shower — rain
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — there
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a football final

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