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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: ruler · fall · mate · mouse · vault · sharp · chip · wake

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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