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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 120 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: row · dip · shower · tear · ruler · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — to dunk

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