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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kid — child
  3. root — the cause
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a plant
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. last — final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — finally
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a word
  20. shower — to wash
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — of a river

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