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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — there
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — a gift
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — to drill
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. present — the time now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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