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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a music group
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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