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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 120 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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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: mouse · tear · last · chip · vault · mate · bass · ruler

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — to rip
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — from crying
  13. last — final
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — to go on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — finally
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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