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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: spring · key · file · lash · patient · shower · vault · stand

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — in music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — of water
  18. file — a document
  19. shower — to wash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a tool

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