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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 · face · calf · bore · file · mug · mark · pound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. mug — to rob
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. face — part of the head
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mug — a face
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pound — a weight
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — a trace
  24. vault — a safe

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