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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: drill · craft · game · bore · leaves · bat · chest · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chest — a box
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bore — to drill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — to tire
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — a match
  20. bat — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chest — of your body

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