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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — for dancing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in biology
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. club — for golf
  12. cell — a phone
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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