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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — of water
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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