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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: mouse · season · straw · key · drill · vault · content · charge

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. key — in music
  5. season — of the year
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — a price
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. drill — the tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. content — happy
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. charge — electricity
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — a safe

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