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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: pop · bay · shower · mug · rash · wake · nail · vault

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mug — a cup
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — a trail
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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