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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. spell — letters
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — a stone

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