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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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