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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mug — a cup
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bass — the fish
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bass — the instrument

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