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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: roll · face · vault · bore · fan · wake · hide · bulb

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — to tire
  5. roll — a cake
  6. face — to point toward
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — animal skin

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