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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: track · vault · bore · fall · mouse · sharp · stick · content

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. content — the amount
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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