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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: squash · mate · bore · snap · board · prune · vault · foot

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a committee
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — a measure
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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