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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · swing · rush · shower · drill · vault · kid · ground

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — a safe
  14. swing — music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. shower — rain
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — hurry

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