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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 · net · pop · shower · kick · mate · vault · wind

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pop — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — in football
  9. net — after costs
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mate — a partner
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pop — soda
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — a friend
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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