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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — a permit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chest — of your body

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