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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. vault — a safe
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — a list
  10. hand — help
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chair — a professorship

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