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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: rush · trunk · rest · tube · tear · nail · vault · shower

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. tear — to rip
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — a container
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — rain
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rest — what's left
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — for a hammer

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