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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rest — what's left
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cue — a signal

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