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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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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: staff · pop · shower · rule · rest · hand · vault · pit

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — a break
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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