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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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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: nail · mouse · vault · fall · mine · march · rest · pop

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — music
  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