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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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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: vault · mouse · bore · ball · pop · dip · face · board

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bore — to tire
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pop — soda
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — music
  23. board — a committee
  24. vault — a safe

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