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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — farmland
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — a subject
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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