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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — a thing
  13. clip — for paper
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bore — to drill
  16. object — to protest
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rest — a break
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a dish

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