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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — to keep track
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — for sport
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a song

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