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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.

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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: kick · content · prune · bore · tube · vault · snap · temple

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — in football
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bore — to drill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. content — happy
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tube — a container

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