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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: bay · fork · vault · row · saw · mouse · rush · capital

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — a line
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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