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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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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 · vault · foot · bore · kid · patient · cell · cap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — army training
  3. vault — a safe
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — of ice
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kid — to tease
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — in biology

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