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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bore · lie · cell · vault · kick · chest · court

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — of law
  5. chest — a box
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — for sport
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of a king

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