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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: dip · ruler · bound · shower · vault · capital

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bound — certain
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — rain
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. capital — a city
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — money

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