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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 · hand · fine · bank · shower · vault · rash · mate

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — high quality
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. shower — rain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — all right

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