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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. row — a line
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. row — a quarrel

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