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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 · shower · firm · stick · sharp · fine · can · toast

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — all right
  7. firm — steady
  8. toast — bread
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fine — high quality
  11. can — to be able to
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — rain

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