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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: prune · mouse · content · roll · vault · wave · branch · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — a safe
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. content — the amount
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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