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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: ball · bore · stand · season · rest · mouse · cold · vault

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — a break
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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