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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: wound · squash · tube · cabinet · bore · vault · mouse · kid

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — to drill

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