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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — size or range

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