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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 · pitcher · wave · cell · leaves · straw · cue · vault

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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