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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mark — to pay attention

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