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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · rash · date · nail · shower · key · vault · rule

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. clip — for paper
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. date — the fruit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — a law

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