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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kick — in football
  7. game — a match
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — to drill
  11. toast — bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. vault — a safe
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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