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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · arm · march · vault · fan · drill · shower · calf

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — to wash
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — a safe
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fan — a supporter

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