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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rule — a law
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — a leader
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — in football
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. march — the month
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. march — the month

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