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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — a series
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. firm — decided
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — happy
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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