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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: shower · roll · date · kick · sharp · fork · vault · can

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. date — the fruit
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — to wash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — to be able to
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — clever
  20. roll — a cake
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — rain
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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