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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 120 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: mouse · drill · chair · squash · fine · vault · shower · row

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — high quality
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — a practice
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a line
  23. drill — army training
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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