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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — a group
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to sink
  6. club — for dancing
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — to shout
  22. scale — in music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fall — to drop

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