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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. clip — a video
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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