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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · bulb · clip · vault · firm · cabinet · bound · cold

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. clip — a video
  4. bound — obliged
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bound — tied together
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cold — not warm
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — a company
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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