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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
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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 · cue · rush · present · vault · craft · fall · game

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — a safe
  5. shower — rain
  6. game — a match
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — for pool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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