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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: spring · saw · cap · mark · vault · row · chip · bore

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — to paddle

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