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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to click
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bore — to drill

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