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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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