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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.

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: fall · ball · march · bark · saw · wound · vault · mouse

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. march — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bark — to shout

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