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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. shower — rain
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — to wash
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — to crush
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — to handle

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