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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: rest · snap · mug · ball · bore · cabinet · fall · vault

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to click
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fall — the season
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — to rob

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