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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 120 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: stick · can · mouse · wake · mark · root · vault · squash

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — the sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a word
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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