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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: fine · straw · ball · toast · shower · root · row · vault

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — to wash
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. root — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. row — a line
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a dance
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. row — a quarrel

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