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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — a gift
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. present — there
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. present — the time now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bear — the animal

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