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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: fall · snap · bore · cap · mouse · toast · vault · content

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — happy
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. toast — bread
  12. snap — to click
  13. content — the amount
  14. cap — of ice
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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