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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fork — in a road
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — hurry
  24. trunk — of a car

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