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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
468
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: mine · land · vault · tube · bear · rock · straw · mouse

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — a safe
  20. land — to come down
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rock — music

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