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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — a safe
  13. content — happy
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — to crush
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. deal — an agreement
  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