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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. mate — a partner
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. key — the most important part

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