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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · straw · file · vault · mug · roll · racket · can

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a cup
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bore — to tire
  16. roll — a list
  17. bore — to drill
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a face
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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