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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: stand · court · saw · drill · pass · hide · bore · vault

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — army training
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. court — for sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. court — of law
  18. vault — a safe
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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