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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a match
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. roll — a list
  24. chest — a box

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