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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rest — a break
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kick — in football
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bark — to shout
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. vault — a safe

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