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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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