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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. present — a gift
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to click
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — a company
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — there
  15. court — for sport
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. firm — steady
  20. chair — a leader
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — the time now

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