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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: vault · leaves · bound · row · mouse · pit · wave · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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