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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rush — hurry
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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