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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: shower · jam · wax · bear · rest · vault · game · nail

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — to wash
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wax — to grow
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bear — the animal

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