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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.

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: mouse · game · tear · ball · vault · press · land · rash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — to push
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — a country
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. land — ground
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — for a computer

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