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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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