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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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Word bank
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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 · mouse · rest · fall · cell · bulb

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — a safe

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