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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. spring — the season
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — a supporter

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