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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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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: mark · deal · bound · bore · temple · chair · kid · vault

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kid — child
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chair — a leader
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. temple — a place of worship

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