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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hand — in cards
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — to tire

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