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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: vault · snap · wound · scale · game · wave · lash · shower

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. snap — to click
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. game — a match

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