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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: patient · shower · key · bulb · vault · date

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — in music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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