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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — letters
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a great time
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. kid — child
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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