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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. band — a ring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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