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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 116 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 · rock · cap · shower · lash · chip · branch · fine

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — a division
  9. fine — high quality
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — a stone
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. shower — rain
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — a penalty

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