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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — soda
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. swing — in golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kid — to tease
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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