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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: face · bore · vault · court · prune · tube · present · mouse

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. court — of a king
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — a gift
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bore — to drill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — of law
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — the time now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. face — part of the head

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