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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a line of people
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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