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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. file — a line of people
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a document
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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