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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bore — to drill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bore — to tire
  8. race — the arms race
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. field — for sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. field — farmland
  17. kick — in football
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — a subject
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. vault — a safe

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