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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — help
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — to handle

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