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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — for sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bore — to drill
  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