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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: mine · fork · vault · nail · bass · rush · bore · dip

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mine — for digging
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — to sink

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