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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — final
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spring — the season
  8. vault — a safe
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. firm — steady
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. firm — decided
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chair — a professorship

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