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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — boats
  13. mate — a partner
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. date — on the calendar

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