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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. game — a match
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — part of the head
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — on a finger
  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