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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: mine · cap · stem · bat · bore · present · vault · suit

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stem — to come from
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — the time now
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mine — for digging
  23. present — there
  24. suit — clothes

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