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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: leaves · vault · club · staff · kick · shower

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — to wash
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. staff — a stick
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — employees

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