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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — rain
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. vault — a safe

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