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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: court · nail · vault · shower · safe · fan · rash · temple

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. court — for sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — hasty
  13. court — of law
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — a series
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. shower — to wash

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