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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — a stick
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to tire
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bore — to drill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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