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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. court — of law
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of a king
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bark — to shout
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ball — a great time

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