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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 · row · ball · saw · staff · vault · rash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a line
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — employees

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