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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: cold · vault · key · lash · jam · bass · trunk · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. key — for a lock
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — to wash
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — low music

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