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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: shower · cabinet · pass · key · pitch · tear · kick · vault

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. shower — rain
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — in music
  24. shower — to wash

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