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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pop — soda
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tear — from crying

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