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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — money
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kid — child
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. drill — army training
  23. fall — to drop
  24. drill — a practice

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