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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · vault · row · bat · last · root · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. last — finally
  6. row — a line
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — a series
  17. bore — to drill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. root — the cause

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