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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rush — hurry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kid — child
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chip — for betting
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kid — to tease
  24. plane — a tool

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