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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: vault · shower · firm · stick · sharp · fine

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — decided
  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