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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spring — of water
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wake — a trail

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