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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: shower · kick · bear · vault · stand · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — rain
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kick — in football

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