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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. last — final
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — to go on
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. last — finally
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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