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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: game · club · land · shower · spell · leaves · vault · stem

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — for golf
  7. shower — to wash
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. shower — rain
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. game — wild animals
  16. spell — magic
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — a safe
  22. club — for dancing
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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