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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spring — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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