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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — a price
  15. stock — shares
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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