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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chest — a box
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hand — in cards
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — to recline

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