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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bore — to tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. net — after costs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — for a lock
  19. vault — a safe
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — thin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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