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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a trace
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — there
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — a gift
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — of the sea

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