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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: wake · bore · spell · suit · vault · tear · date · chip

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bore — to tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — letters
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — a trail
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — in cards

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