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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rush — hurry
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — of a river
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — to wash
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — rain

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