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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 120 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 · wake · vault · rush · spell · bark · mug · mate

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — magic
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — hurry
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spell — a short time
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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