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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: bore · foot · date · spell · vault · track · leaves · nail

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — letters
  17. date — the fruit
  18. track — a path
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spell — magic
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — for a hammer

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