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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: rash · vault · cell · bore · court · shower · wave · tube

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — rain
  15. court — of law
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. court — of a king
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bore — to tire
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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