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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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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: hide · vault · shower · charge · cap · foot · track · rest

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. foot — a measure
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — a song
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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