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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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Word bank
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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: shower · kick · vault · stock · staff · bear

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stock — shares
  6. shower — rain
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — a soup base

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