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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — to come down
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. date — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — a safe
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — ground
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. march — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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