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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: prune · vault · capital · fan · cabinet · bore · pass · kick

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — a city
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — in football
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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