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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: calf · file · pit · vault · shower · cold · bank · face

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cold — an illness
  17. vault — a safe
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. file — a tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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