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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — a break
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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