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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: lash · cue · bore · pop · clip · date · fine · vault

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — the fruit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. date — on the calendar

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