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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: cabinet · tube · vault · suit · shower · plane · race · spring

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spring — a coil
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — the season
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. race — a contest
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — of water
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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