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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: sharp · wind · shower · suit · board · vault · mark · season

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — clothes
  10. shower — rain
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — a committee
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — of the year
  24. shower — to wash

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