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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stand — to bear
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. charge — in control
  6. bark — to shout
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ball — a dance
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. swing — music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wind — to turn a key

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