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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. land — ground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. vault — a safe

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