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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — a match
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to tire
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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