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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — the season
  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