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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — a phone
  7. press — to push
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bore — to drill
  10. firm — steady
  11. row — a line
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. firm — decided
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bore — to tire
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — shares
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. firm — a company

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