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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 was a fun ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ground — a position
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. band — a ring
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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