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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a committee
  4. fine — high quality
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — a container
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tube — the underground
  13. vault — a safe
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — to push
  17. kid — child
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — a publisher
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — all right
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. date — the fruit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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