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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. swing — in golf
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a face
  24. object — a thing

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