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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: wave · vault · lash · rule · roll · trunk · shower · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. vault — a safe
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — size or range
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — a cake

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