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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: sharp · present · bore · hand · vault · lie · mine · can

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. sharp — clever
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — help
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — a tin
  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