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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — in cards
  5. last — final
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — help
  8. firm — decided
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — steady
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — a company
  24. bore — to drill

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