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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: deal · shower · rash · wound · vault · file · arm · firm

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. file — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — decided
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. shower — rain
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rash — hasty
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — to wash

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