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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · fall · vault · foot · cue · march · chest · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — a box
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — of your body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. foot — the bottom

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