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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: vault · cabinet · lean · staff · wake · nail · hand · bore

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — thin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. staff — employees
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cabinet — ministers

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