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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. vault — a safe
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — for a hammer

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