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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
468
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: wake · deal · ground · can · dip · vault · mouse · chair

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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