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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 120 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: ball · bound · can · shower · stand · vault · rest · tear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — a break
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — rain
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — to be able to

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