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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — in football
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ball — a round shape

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