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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: staff · rush · date · firm · key · shower · hand · vault

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. key — in music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — a company
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — the fruit
  24. vault — a safe

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