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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — to go on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — final
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bore — to drill
  15. last — finally
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chest — a box
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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