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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: tube · wind · suit · saw · drill · arm · vault · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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