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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to tire
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. season — in sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — to drill
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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