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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: saw · vault · tube · lean · wake · wound · bear · mate

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lean — thin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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