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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: leaves · degree · shower · vault · mug · bulb · trunk · coach

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — an amount
  11. shower — rain
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. degree — temperature

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