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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: sharp · vault · cell · key · bulb · shower · march · lash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — music
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — rain
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. shower — to wash
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cell — a phone
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — a safe
  24. key — the most important part

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