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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: bank · cold · mouse · straw · vault · rash · bore · can

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — a series
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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