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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wound — an injury

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