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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 116 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: ground · vault · pass · shower · fall · mark · craft · straw

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — rain
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — a trace

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