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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ball — a dance
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cold — an illness
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — to eat

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