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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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Word bank
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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a line of people
  7. toast — bread
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to tire
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — out of danger

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