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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: present · wake · jam · vault · kick · mark · wound · shower

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — there
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — rain
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — a gift
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — with a leg

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