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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · vault · field · temple · hand · foot · lash · sharp

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — clever
  11. field — a subject
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — for sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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