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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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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: ruler · wake · shower · vault · last · bay

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — to wash

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