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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — to rob
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mug — a face

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