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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: vault · saw · rest · fall · bank · chip · jam · mouse

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rest — a break
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — to eat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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