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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · saw · bore · cabinet · can · fan · vault · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. can — a tin

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