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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.

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: key · game · root · shower · current · last · vault · mouse

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. root — of a plant
  6. shower — to wash
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — for a lock
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — in music
  12. current — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — final
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — finally

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