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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: mouse · drill · spring · stick · scale · rest · vault · shower

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. drill — army training
  7. scale — size or range
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — a safe
  15. shower — to wash
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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