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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. net — for catching
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to tire
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. season — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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