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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · squash · roll · present · clip · board · vault · last

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. clip — a video
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — to wash
  7. clip — to cut
  8. present — the time now
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — final
  13. clip — for paper
  14. last — to go on
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — a safe
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. present — there
  23. squash — the sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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