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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bore — to drill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. march — music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. drill — army training
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — to tire

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