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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — part of the head
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. bark — of a tree

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