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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: vault · bay · shower · mark · bulb · scale · straw · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. shower — rain
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mark — a grade

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