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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rash — a series
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — there
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — a gift
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — in football
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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