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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a grade
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. race — the arms race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spell — magic
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. race — humankind
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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