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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: vault · craft · cabinet · shower · can · bat · dip · coach

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bat — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — to be able to

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