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

Word bank: vault · rule · mug · cell · row · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — government
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cell — in biology
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — a face
  13. rule — a law
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — to rob

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