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

Word bank: vault · shower · object · rule · rash · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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