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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: wave · vault · object · ruler · tear · spring · shower · lie

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — rain
  4. tear — to rip
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — to protest
  22. spring — of water
  23. object — an aim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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