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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — a gift
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. present — there
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — the time now
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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