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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 116 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: vault · tube · rule · fall · spring · stock · mouse · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rule — a law
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rule — government
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — to rule out

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