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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bark — to shout
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — thin
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. safe — out of danger

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