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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · game · nail · current · lash · shower · tear · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. shower — to wash
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. current — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — of water
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tear — from crying
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — happening now
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — on a finger

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