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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — the tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cap — of ice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — to drill
  17. drill — army training
  18. rush — hurry
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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