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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: pass · tear · mine · mug · shower · vault · rush · ground

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mug — a face
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ground — a position
  24. pass — a permit

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