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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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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: chest · rule · spring · row · scale · mouse · rest · vault

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. scale — in music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — a break
  20. chest — a box
  21. spring — the season
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. spring — a coil

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