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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. present — there
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cold — an illness
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — after costs
  21. cold — not warm
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ball — a dance

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