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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 120 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: fan · row · vault · shower · coach · sharp · club · present

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a line
  3. club — a group
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — for golf
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — to wash
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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