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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — a practice
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — army training
  22. vault — a safe
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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