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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 116 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 · degree · shower · mug · key · craft · wave · trunk

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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