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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kid — child
  3. lean — to bend
  4. vault — a safe
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — in a race
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — a place of worship

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