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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: vault · bay · kid · bore · rock · face · leaves · wave

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — a safe
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kid — child
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — to drill

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