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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mug — a face
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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