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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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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — low music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bore — to drill
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — to fit
  23. march — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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