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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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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 · shower · staff · vault · rest · lie · rash · fall

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — the season
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. court — for sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — of a king
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. court — of law
  24. fall — to drop

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