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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — videos and posts

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