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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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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: vault · wave · rash · wind · shower · bound · racket · deal

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — certain
  9. shower — rain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wind — moving air

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