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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: vault · chair · shower · rest · hide · sharp · squash · kid

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — a safe
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — a break
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — to keep secret

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