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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — a signal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — a phone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. present — the time now
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. plane — in geometry
  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