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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: rush · vault · sharp · pound · bowl · bore · fan · pass

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — a football final

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