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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: wind · tube · vault · mouse · bore · suit · game · cap

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — a hat
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — a match
  24. wind — to turn a key

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