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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: vault · firm · shower · cabinet · wave · staff · wind · saw

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — a safe
  4. firm — a company
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — rain
  23. staff — a stick
  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