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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a song
  8. snap — to click
  9. bat — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — to keep track
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bat — for baseball

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