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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — size or range
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — to come down

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