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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — the time now
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — there
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. roll — a cake
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tube — a container
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — a safe
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — certain
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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