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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — a break
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — a trail
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rest — what's left

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