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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lean — thin
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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