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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: calf · vault · cold · mouse · season · bound · current · snap

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to click
  10. bound — obliged
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — electric
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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