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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 · toast · vault · ball · shower · key · branch · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — the most admired

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