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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: leaves · toast · shower · dip · sharp · wake · land · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — ground
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — to sink
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. toast — bread
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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