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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: shower · mouse · rash · clip · stick · wound · present · vault

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. present — the time now
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rash — hasty
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — there
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wound — an injury

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