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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: shower · last · suit · cabinet · fall · vault · object · spell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spell — a short time
  5. shower — rain
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. last — final
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — to go on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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