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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · cue · bat · coach · vault · shower · patient · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cue — a signal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — rain
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cue — a hint

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