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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spring — the season
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pit — a hole

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