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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — to handle
  9. vault — a safe
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — to paddle

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