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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — a position
  11. spell — letters
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spell — magic
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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