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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a great time
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — the animal
  17. toast — bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — a price

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