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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — to put up with

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