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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: vault · bore · last · nail · temple · fall · mark · mouse

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — final
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — finally
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — on a finger

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