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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — letters
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. land — ground
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. land — a country
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — to grow
  20. current — happening now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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