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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: vault · staff · cap · scale · clip · mug · bore · nail

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — a lid
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mug — to rob
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — to cut
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cap — a hat
  15. clip — a video
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — in music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a cup
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bore — to tire

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