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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — a list
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. date — the fruit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bound — obliged

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