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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. board — to get on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. board — a committee
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — a match
  17. dip — to sink
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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