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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 120 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: mouse · bound · vault · content · hand · staff · stand · tear

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. content — the amount

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