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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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