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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — a series
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — a safe
  11. track — a path
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. track — a song
  24. lie — an untruth

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