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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — in a race
  7. race — the arms race
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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