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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: vault · scale · race · nail · prune · mouse · shower · temple

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — a contest
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. scale — in music

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