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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 120 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: racket · mine · net · vault · season · bore · saw · hide

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — for digging
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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