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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — to recline
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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