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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · vault · present · capital · bore · straw · field · coach

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — there
  8. capital — a city
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — a gift
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to hurry

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