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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — tied together
  3. key — the most important part
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a cup
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mug — a face
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. club — a group
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — certain
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bark — to shout

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