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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: vault · saw · mouse · sharp · jam · pass · calf · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — rain
  8. vault — a safe
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pass — a permit
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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