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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — of the year
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. season — in sport
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. nail — for a hammer

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