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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — in biology
  21. club — a group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fork — in a road

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