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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — a break
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — to shout
  24. saw — the tool

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