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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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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: bear · leaves · vault · sharp · season · rock · shower · bore

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — of the year
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. shower — rain
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — to wash
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rock — music
  24. bear — the animal

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