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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — for sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of law
  22. vault — a safe
  23. court — of a king
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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