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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 · band · bay · last · root · vault · fall · jam

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — of a word
  9. last — final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fall — the season
  13. last — finally
  14. band — a music group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. root — the cause

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