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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: hide · cap · vault · stock · date · lash · wave · shower

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — a lid
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. date — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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