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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bark — to shout
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bore — to tire
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to point toward
  17. vault — a safe
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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