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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — a box
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — a gift
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — to drill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. vault — a safe
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — steady

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