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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. snap — to click
  3. kid — child
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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