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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — a trail
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mine — belonging to me

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