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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. vault — a safe
  6. shower — rain
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. root — the cause
  18. cold — an illness
  19. march — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a plant

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