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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — to wash
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — rain
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — gave birth

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