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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pop — soda
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. race — humankind
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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