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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. squash — the sport
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tear — to rip
  23. squash — to crush
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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