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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — a subject
  5. wake — a trail
  6. dip — to sink
  7. vault — a safe
  8. field — farmland
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to tire
  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