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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bore — to drill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — happening now
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. current — electric
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — of water
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to tire
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a document

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