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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 116 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: vault · suit · ground · drill · mouse · wave · cell · leaves

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. drill — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — in a prison

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