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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 · game · content · cold · fine · toast · board

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fine — all right
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — high quality
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. board — a committee
  15. game — wild animals
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. content — the amount
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — to get on
  20. toast — bread
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — a match
  24. content — happy

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