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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: bore · vault · ball · nail · straw · bowl · cell · wake

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — in biology
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. straw — dry grass

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