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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cap — a hat
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. squash — to crush

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