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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: mouse · vault · hand · wave · bore · bank · temple · chest

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — of the sea

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