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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. band — a ring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to drill
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to tire
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. band — a music group
  24. vault — a safe

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