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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · game · vault · bore · bass · rash · bark · wax

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. game — a match
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cell — in biology
  8. vault — a safe
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — a series
  24. game — wild animals

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