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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
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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: bear · march · roll · vault · scale · mouse · last · wake

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. march — the month
  23. roll — a cake
  24. scale — size or range

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