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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: press · calf · object · bore · bear · vault · jam · file

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a document
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bore — to tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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