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

Word bank: swing · pit · saw · bore · drill · fall · stick · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — the season
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — to tire
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — army training
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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