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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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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: nail · wound · shower · sharp · vault · bowl · pit · object

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. object — an aim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — in a race
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — to protest
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — a thing

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