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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bat — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — help
  17. mark — a trace
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — a safe
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — to tire
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bark — of a tree

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