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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · spell · bore · wound · mouse · rush · pound · vault

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — magic
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bore — to tire

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