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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — the season

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