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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — to come down
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — an aim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. land — a country
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. object — to protest

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