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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — in music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bore — to drill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — a break
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hand — help

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