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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — a tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — a supporter

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