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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. vault — a safe
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — in music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wound — an injury

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