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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. bore — to tire
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. vault — a safe
  12. file — a line of people
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — to bend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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