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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. vault — a safe
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. swing — music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bark — to shout

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