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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — in music

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