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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. chest — a box
  3. firm — a company
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — of a tree
  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