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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: bore · track · vault · sharp · date · rest · saw · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kid — child
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. saw — the tool

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