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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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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: deal · vault · snap · racket · coach · bore · calf · stem

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to click
  24. deal — to handle

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