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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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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 · cue · wake · pound · fine · suit · shower · chest

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pound — a weight
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chest — of your body

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