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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — to tire
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — in music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — a line
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — to paddle

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