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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. roll — a list
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bore — to tire
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — low music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chest — a box
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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