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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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