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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. roll — a list
  9. tear — to rip
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. toast — bread
  13. suit — in cards
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bark — to shout

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