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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
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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: bore · wind · bulb · track · stock · row · shower · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — a safe
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. track — to keep track

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