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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · spell · vault · mine · last · rule · current · mouse

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. deal — to handle
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — a short time
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — of water
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. current — electric
  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