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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. season — of the year
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. swing — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wake — a trail
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — to bend

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