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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: stem · shower · fan · rash · club · trunk · vault · mug

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. club — for dancing
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — a group
  13. mug — a face
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. club — for golf
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — a series
  24. fan — to cool the air

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