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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
468
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: row · vault · fine · key · patient · shower · rush · saw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — rain
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. patient — a sick person

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