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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. field — a subject
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — a stick
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — to tire
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — a safe

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