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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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Word bank
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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: fine · rock · vault · bore · stand · fork · rash · lie

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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