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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: track · shower · vault · stand · chest · bulb · band · rock

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — rain
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a song
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — a box
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — to wash

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