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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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