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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — to recline
  7. field — for sport
  8. court — for sport
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. field — farmland
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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