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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bore — to tire
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. net — for catching
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — there
  14. rock — music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — a stone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to drill

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