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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · pop · shower · vault · mouse · club · rock · capital

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for golf
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — money
  23. pop — soda
  24. shower — rain

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