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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: chest · firm · vault · bore · last · kick · march · root

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chest — a box
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. firm — a company
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — steady
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — decided
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — final
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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