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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — to spend time

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