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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to confront
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bark — to shout
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for golf
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — in a tire

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