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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fan — a supporter

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